Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 | 20% | 144,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 20% | 33,000 miles |
| 2013 | 1 | 11% | 105,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 25% | 130,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 8% | 1,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 21% | 50,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2007 | 10 | 16% | 50,000 miles |
| 2006 | 13 | 24% | 78,000 miles |
| 2005 | 21 | 44% | 90,000 miles |
| 2004 | 18 | 51% | 126,000 miles |
| 2003 | 26 | 51% | 130,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH on the highway, the suspension lowered inadvertently, causing her to lose control of the vehicle, and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was towed to the residence where it was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the front driver's side axle had detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred on the front passenger's side axle five months later. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic on three different occasions where the front passenger's side axle was replaced three times. However, the failure persisted. …
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 20V770000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. The VIN was not available.
Vehicle fails to accelerate and shuts down as moving through intersections. This has nearly caused a crash. This has happened several times believe it has something to do with the batteries, engine and transmission. The batteries fail to drive the electric motors, the gas engine does not engage and for some reason it will shut completely off. Took it to the dealer they said they could not detect a code or duplicate the issue. This issue has been well documented on many sites (including this one). There is a recall on the batteries but Honda does not want to change out the batteries. This needs to be a forced recall before people get hurt or killed.
The car has a propensity to lurch forward at low speeds. When making a turn or stopping at a light the engine intermittently will rev and thrust the vehicle forward. If the driver is not knowledgeable or prepared for this tendency, the vehicle can thrust forward and strike whatever is in its path. The second problem that I have encountered is that the vehicle uses a malfunctioning integrated motor assist (ima) feature that is supposed to give the vehicle extra power to enter a highway and safely merge with oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, this feature is unreliable and can leave the vehicle and driver in a position of not having enough power to safely merge with high speed traffic. This differential in speed is very unsafe. In 2011 I had the li battery for my Hybrid vehicle replaced. This battery failed in less than a year. …
This problem has existed for several months. The problem is that the car suddenly does not have power when starting from a stopped condition. At the same time the indicated drive battery level drops and the dashboard indicates the gas motor is charging the battery. After maybe 30 seconds the reduction of power is less. There seems to be some reduction in power until the drive battery is mostly charged. During this time it appears that the electric assist is not working. Have also observed during this several month period the gas mileage is reduced. The problem is more likely to occur after the car has sat without running for a few hours. The hazard here is that this has occurred when pulling into traffic. When it occurs even pushing the gas pedal to the floor does not have much effect. Have been lucky not to have been hit by another car. Took the car to the dealer. …
Upon receiving the 'mandatory' ima recall issued by Honda, I noticed my Honda Civic Hybrid (2008) acted very differently when it came to accelerating from a stop, particularly on a hill. From a stop it takes several seconds before the car will move forward at a reasonable speed (which it did not do prior to the update). Prior to the update, the car would accelerate like a normal car with the ima kicking in to assist the car forward. Post update it's like the gas engine wants the ima to engage but the new firmware won't allow it to. The first time I experienced this, I was nearly hit coming out into traffic as my car hesitated. Honda has stated there is no way to reverse the update. This decrease in power continues to affect me today (at 60,000 miles and climbing). This update has affected my fuel economy as well (having dropped between 30-33 mpg on a "good" day). …
Erractic power on starting from a stop. The ima system says it has assist power but the car starts moving "very" slowly and then drains the ima lights down to nothing. The car continues to accelerate slowly for a while until the gasoline engine starts to to take effect and getting up to speed, very dangerous in traffic. At other times the ims indicator is erratic on the dash but the system is okay. The lights will be full up and suddenly drop to nothing and a few minutes later it's full again. I had joe morgan Honda check it out and they even road tested it with instruments attached and it checked out okay (quote from tyler the service rep. Of joe morgan - 10-13-2015). All experiences were on flat ground dry pavement and good conditions. There were conditions when I experienced the slow acceleration on a grade (small like 5-15% maybe) and the results were even worse.
When pulling out onto a busy 55 MPH highway from a side street, my car unexpectedly was unable to provide any electrical propulsion from the Hybrid motor. The Hybrid battery state of charge indicator was at 6 out of 8 bars of battery level while waiting at the stop sign, but when the demand for electrical assist was given, the battery level immediately dropped to 2 out of 8 bars and provided little or no Hybrid motor assist. My vehicle struggled to accelerate up to speed of oncoming traffic, even with the accelerator pedal depressed all the way to the floor (wide open throttle). Luckily, the oncoming traffic was able to react quickly enough to avoid a collision, but I do not feel safe putting myself and other motorists at risk like this. …
Related recalls (1)
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge.
Frequently asked questions
Which Honda Civic Hybrid years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (26), 2005 (21), 2004 (18), 2006 (13) and 2007 (10) model years. Transmission complaints make up 51% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Honda Civic Hybrid transmission problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 20V-770 (driveshaft, Dec 10, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Honda Civic Hybrid transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles; 17% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (3 mentions), followed by the manual transmission (1).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.